Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC : I. It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025. II. It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999. III. Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC. IV. In BIMSTEC, the subsector of 'tourism' is being led by India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement I is correct because BIMSTEC has maintained a membership of seven states (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) through January 2025. Statements II and III are incorrect because the organization was established via the **Bangkok Declaration in 1997** (not Dhaka 1999), and Nepal was not a founding member, having joined later in 2004. Statement IV is also false as **Nepal** leads the tourism sector, while India is responsible for the Security, Connectivity, and Energy pillars. The core concept tested is the institutional framework, historical evolution, and sectoral distribution of the BIMSTEC regional grouping.